Fuse for projectiles.



No. 860,354. PATENTED JULY 16, 1907. S. D. BUSHING.

FUSE FOR PROJEGTILES.

APPLICATION vFILED JULY16L1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FIG- 1- 9 "I gain? 7 P 4 Illllln 5- WITNESSES:

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PATENTED ,JULY 16, 1907.

S. D. GUSHING.

FUSE FOR PROJEGTILBS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16. 1908.

2 SHEETS-BBEET 2.

WITNESSES:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL DEWEY CUSHING, OF SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN B.SEMPLE,

OF SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA.

FUSE FOR IQROJ'ECTILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1907.

Application filed July 16,1906. Serial No. 328,405.

State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States,"

have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Fusesfor Projectiles, of which improvements the following is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements in fusesfor shells, etc., and has for its object a combination of parts orelements with a firing pin whereby the latter will be securely held inunarmed position, until the shell is subjected to a rapid rotation onits axis.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed. 7

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification Figure1 is a sectional elevation of a fuse block having my improved firingmechanism arranged therein. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 the planeof section being indicated by the line II-II Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4 aresectional views on planes at right angles to each other of the hammerblock and firing pin, the latter being shown in armed position. Fig. 5is a top plan view of the hammer block and firing pin. Fig. 6 is a viewsimilar to Fig. 3 illustrating a modification and Fig. 7 is a sectionalview illustrating a further modification of my improvement. Figs. 8 and9 illustrate a modification of my improvement in which the hammer blockis normally held forward by a spring; Fig. 8'showing the position of theparts immediately on the discharge of a projectile and Fig. 9 while theyare in normal position; and Fig. 10 illustrates a modification in theconstruction and arrangement of the locking bolts.

In the practice of my invention, the hammer block 1 and its inclosingband or sleeve 2 are constructed to have a free longitudinal movement inthe axial cavity formed in the fuse block 3. The hammer block is slottedfor the reception of the firing pin 4 which is so mounted on the slotthat when in unarmed position its point will be below the face of thehammer block as shown in Figs. 1' and 2. The firing pin is provided witha weighted extension 5, so arranged relative to the pin, that when theblock is rotated rapidly on its axis, the weight will move outwardly andshift the pin 4 to armed position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

A suitable lock is provided for holding the firing pin as against beingarmed by accidental shock or jar. A suitable construction to this endconsists of bolts 6 arranged in openings in the hammer block at an angleto the slot containing the firing pin. The bolts are forced inwardtowards each other by springs 8, and will bear one against the other,when ail opening or hole 9 through the extension 5 is in line with saidbolts as shown in Fig. 2. This opening or hole is so located that thefiring pin must be in unarmed position, when the bolts pass into theopening or hole 9. As both springs are under constant inwardly actingpressure, the accidental movement of one bolt outward will beaccompanied by a movement of the other bolt in the same direction, thuspreserving a lock which might otherwise be released by such accidentalmovement. The springs and bolts are held in position by any suitablemeans as the sleeve or band 2, or by screws 10, as shown in Fig. 6.

When a projectile having my improvement is fired from a rifled gun, therapid rotation of the projectile will cause the bolts to move outwardlyagainst the action of the springs 8, thereby unlocking the firing pin.As soon as released the weighted portion will be 'caused to movetransversely of the hammer block and thereby shift the firing pin toarmed position. The

movement of the pin is arrested by a suitable stop, said stop of theconstruction shown, being formed by the band or sleeve 2, against whichthe extension 5 will strike,

The firing pin being in armed position, the hammer will move forward,when the flight of the projectile is checked or arrested, bring thefiring pin into violentcontact with the cap 11, exploding the same andthereby igniting the priming charge 12.

While it is preferred to so construct the fuse that the firing pin willbe shifted by centrifugal force to armed position, such movement may beaccelerated or be produced solely or mainly by a spring, which may bearranged as indicated at 13 in Fig. 7 or any other suitable manner.

It will be observed that the weight of the extension of the firing pinis so disposed that if for any reason the pin should be released, itwill be held in unarmed po sition while the projectile is in or nearlyin a vertical position. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, a spring 14 may be soarranged between hammer block and the end of the fuse, as to constantlypress the hammer block forward towards the anvil plate or diaphragm 15,thereby supplementing the locking action of the bolts 6. When theprojectile is fired, the hammer block will be set back in the fuse casecompressing the spring 14, and permitting of the firing pin being turnedto armed position. The spring should have sucha tension that whilecapable of moving the hammer block forward, the movement will not havesufficient force to explode the cap, if the firing pin is in armedposition.

As shown in Figs. 6 and 10, the outer hearings or abutments for thesprings 8 may be formed by cupshaped pieces 16, held in place by contactwith the wall of the fuse case or shell or by reason of their tight fitin the passages in the hammer block.

ment into armed position, and means movable in aplaneparallel with orpassing through thellongitudinabaxis of the projectile and operated bythe rotation of the projectile to shift the pin -into armed position.

2..A fuse for projectiles having in combination a firing pin, a locknormally holding the pin against movement into armed position andshiftable to release the pin by the rotation of the projectile, andmeans movable in the plane parallel with or passing through thelongitudinal axis of the projectile and operated by the rotation of theprojectile to shift the firing pin into armed position.

3. A fuse for projectiles having in combination a slotted hammer block,a firing pin movably mounted in said slot, means movable in said slot bythe rotation of the projectile for shifting the pin to armed position,and means independent of the pin shifting means for holding the pin asagainst movement.

4. A fuse for projectiles having in combination a slotted hammer block,a firing pin movably mounted in the slot of the hammer block and. meansacting in the plane of movement ot the firing pin to shift the latter toarmed position.

5. A fuse for projectiles having in I combination a slotted hammerblock, a firing pin mounted in the slot in the hammer block and movablein a plane parallel with hammer block, a firing pin pivotally mounted insaid sooner:

- slot, and adapted to be shifted by the rotation of the projectile toarmed position and bolts normally held in en gagement with the firingpin when in -unarmed position and adapted to be shifted out ofengagement with the pin on the rotation of'the projectile.

7. A fuse for projectiles having in combination a slotted hammer block,a firing pin movably mounted in said slot, a lock for positively holdingthe pin in unarmed position and adapted to be shifted by the rotation ofthe projectile to release the firing pin, and means operative on theshifting of the lock to move the'firing pin to armed position.

8: The combination of afuse case or shell, a slotted hammer blockmovably mounted in said shell, a firing pin pivotally mounted in a slotin the hammer block, an anvil plate or diaphragm, and a spring forshifting the hammer block towards the anvil plate whereby the firing pinwill be held by the anvil plate as against movement into armed position.

9. A fuse for projectiles having in combination a slotted hammer block,a firing pin pivotally mounted in said slot and provided with a weightso arranged that when shifted by the rotation of theprojectile the pinwill move to armed position, bolts movably mounted in said block at anangle to the plane of movement of the firing pin and springs forpressing said bolts towards each other and into engagement with thefiring pin. 1

In testimony whereof, '.I have hereunto set my hand.

SAMUEL DIQW'EY CUSHING.

Witnesses:

CHAS. A. Woons, J. B. SEMPLE.

